The Lesson of 1889

Posted on October 3, 2003 in Fact-Dropping Gray Davis Recall

In the late 1800s, Californians voted to bring in a government which drew its support from those who wanted to deny Chinese citizens the right to vote. They were concerned about losing their jobs to the Chinese and about a Chinese takeover of the state.

The men who the voters elected were not politically astute. Their campaign was based on race hatred and charismatic leadership. Their chief legacy to us today (the anti-Chinese initiatives were finally repealled in 1952) is the second version of the California State Constitution, one of the most messed up documents ever produced in American history. It still governs us today.

These men moved in to clean things up and they created a mess. The lesson to us is clear: we must not be carried away by false zeal. History tells us that turning the government of this state to political outsiders will prove harmful in the long run. The best opposition candidates in the recall have left the race under pressure from the Republican Central Committee; the one remaining sound candidate has been villified unjustly because of his ethnic heritage. This leaves a man who can hardly wait to shatter things in our state capital. We must not make the mistake of those who elected those who drafted the second California Constitution. Keep sober. Vote against the recall and stop history from repeating itself.